Bose, Onkyo home theater and another zone

[mrbmason]

Hi all,
First time on the list. I have my whole house wired for speakers (total of 5 zones) and I am looking at taking baby steps to get things running. At first I would like to setup the basement area with a surround sound home theater 5.1 setup and also drive some speaker in the next room (2 zones). I have an old Bose Acoustimass system and I just picked up a free Onkyo TX-SR806 (cheap doesn't come close to how little amount of money I have to spend on this). My questions are:
1. Is the Onkyo powerful enough to drive the 5.1 and then 2-4 speakers in the other room?
2. To upgrade the sound I would like to get better speakers but can I still use the bose subwoofer standalone?
3. I can get some used SpeakerCraft speakers super cheap (they are probably 15 years old), can I use them in combination with my Bose subwoofer? I wouldn't connect them to the subwoofer like the bose cubes but directly to the receiver. Here is a link to the SpeakerCrafts
http://murcorecycling.com/auctions/454/ceiling-wall-speakers/

4. Does anyone know of a good source for inexpensive used speakers?

Thanks in advance for any input.

Brian

 

[KenM10759]

1. Either or, but probably not all at the same time. Depends upon volume desired.
2. No. Bose doesn't make a subwoofer. They make a rectangular black box with some wires in it that makes some noises. It is nearly useless with it's mated speakers, completely so without them.
3. Good match. 15 year old used speakers of unknown condition with the Bose black noise box. Excellent pairing.
4. Not me. I know there are places to get good used speakers, but have never shopped for Bargain Basement distortion makers.

Try to explain what you hope to achieve. Tackle one room, one project at a time and be thoughtful about it. Learn as much as you can, spend wisely on higher quality goods and only have to do it ONCE.

 

[mrbmason]

Thanks for the response and mild abuse.
Ultimately I would like to be able to drive both zones at least at a back ground party noise level. You should be able to hear the music but talk over it. Then when needed be able to drive 1 zone at a more deafening level when the wife and kids are out of town.
For the TV room I have wires in the ceiling to support 4 speakers, so I would like in wall/ceiling speakers. I can put the center channel in the TV cabinet. I have several places for a subwoofer. The other room I again have wire in the ceiling for 4 speakers so in wall/ceiling would be best. I can have the speaker wires either terminated in the finished attic or in a finished crawl space. I would like to squirrel everything away there but my wife is not a techie and she needs to be able to stick a CD in (yes we still have a big pile of them) and have access to a volume control. But those are all side issues. I am just looking for a decent sounding system. She cannot tell the difference in sound and doesn't care, but I do. I don't need acoustically perfect (as evidence by the Bose system) but I like to hear a decent base and decent highs, not tin.

 

[KenM10759]

Bose isn't well regarded, it's well marketed. You have heard (or felt) bass with any of their products because they don't put it out. There are a number of subwoofers for barely over $100 that are better and pretty respectable at just over $200. And tinny highs is a hallmark of HTIB Bose systems.

Not many people consider an "all ceiling" speaker system to be anything more than a "voice of God" public address system. It's music in the air, not good stereo or surround sound. Do some reading around this website about things you can do to make it better. A combination of in-wall and ceiling speakers can do a minimally acceptable job if done well.

I suggest you try to hear some other systems before you spend another nickel. Your perspective may be re-aligned.

I also have a wife who also cannot tell the difference between good sound and bad, and really doesn't care one bit. I empathize. Good luck.

 

[herbu]

1. Is the Onkyo powerful enough to drive the 5.1 and then 2-4 speakers in the other room?

Yes, (for 2 speakers).
Your Onkyo is a 7.1 AVR. That means it has 7 built-in amplifiers. You can set up a 7-channel home theater room, (7.1), or you can set up a 5-channel theater room, (5.1), and use the other 2 channels to drive 2 speakers in Zone-2. The Onkyo has plenty of power.

Now, you're beginning to hear what most of us think about a theater with only ceiling speakers. It is not our favorite for music or tv/movies. If we had wires hanging out of the ceiling for speakers, most of us would put some kind of cover over them and go with traditional towers or bookshelves. Ceiling speakers can be fine for your background party music, but not so much for personal listening or tv/movies. That being said, if you're determined to go that route, people here can still offer suggestions.

Subwoofers are a critical element. They allow you to spend much less on speakers, and provide the impact to tv/movies that separates a theater from a TV room. You'll quickly draw a negative reaction if you talk about scrimping or minimizing your sub(s).

You don't have to spend a ton to get a good system, and you're wise to come here and ask BEFORE you spend your money. If your budget is limited, we'll suggest building a system a bit at a time rather than getting a sub-par system all at once. There are some really good speaker options for ~$200/pair.

Tell us what you're willing to do and how much you're willing to spend. We can help.
Oh... the "mild abuse" is all in fun. Don't take it personally.

 

[KenM10759]

Depending upon budget you might consider using the ceiling speakers as a completely seperate "music everywhere" system for parties and the like, and put together the Onkyo with a good subwoofer and selected main left, center, right and surround speakers for a true home theater.